The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1887-09-29
Agriculture.
Farmias Mes FaiIy Credited

ceniase u urban population than Is dc.
sirshIe Our immigrants from abroad too
oiien 90 eitywmd. while there Is good
ground for the compliant that our farmers
cons snd dsushicn are much disposed TO
leave the country. II We eAa lessen this
influx Of people into The city We will do
we'll. ] am inclined 10 think thai We will
do no coed by seoldipg or preaching
Truth 10 tell. our sons and daughters are
under no more obligations TO follow 10 tho
Industrial footsteps Of their parents than
are the children OF other people, yet no
one goes 10 preaching about II when the
physicians son does not study medicine,
when the carpenters son iorsakes the saw
aud the plane for Blackstone and Story,
or when the lawyers son becomes car
penter Boys aud girls leave the country
for the city because they hope TO do bet
ter by the change, aud II We would keep
them where they are We must show them
fairly aad dispsssiouaiely that the country
has the most to oflsr. Farming does not
get full credit Even the agricultural
journals are disposed to do il Injustice.
The farmer is piiied aud sympatbized
with, as IL hs worked harder aud got less
pay than any other man. Naturally enough
the children get the notion that IN the city
The pay is much better aud the work much
easier aud nicer than in the country. Not
one farmer IN thousand gives his farm
full credit. Take. for instance, the mat
ter Of income. Quite frequently you will
hear the farmer say. My cousin gets a
salary oil fifteen bundred dolla,s a year,
he keeps the books OF Pig Iron Co.; II
| had such an Income as that would get
rich;" or, ''lbe salary Of our county treas
urer is $4,000 per year. 1t IL too much.
He doesn't work rs hard as do. and yet
he gets four times as much" Aud yet the
farmer no thinks he has an income eqnal
10 only one fourth the income OF the
county treasurer. has really an income
larger. He has hot credited his farm with
the use OF the dwelling house; with yege'
tables, fruits, grains and meats produced
on the iarn and consumed by the family
with the use Of horse and carriage; with
milk, butter and eggs; with dozen other
considerable items, never forgotten by the
city man because they always cost him
money. but not credited to the farm be-
cause the farm produces them! True, the
bookkeeper or public official gets $1,000
per year. One fourth OF this must be
paid for house no better than the one
you live 10 another fourth must go for the
vegetables, fruits, grains, meal, butter,
eggs and milk you have used but not
credited to the farm that produced them.
A horse and carriage, such as you have,
will cost the city man at least S40O more.
Other items will consume well nigh the
remaining 5000 II you bad his income
you would not grow rich naar as fast as
you think. am often reminded Of the
remark Of the city man. After be had lived
in the city year, he said to me: "a nan
living in the city cant turn around with
out paying for it. When | was on the
farm quite often didn't pay out cent OF
money in week; now | have to pay out
money every day. l don't live SO well
now rs ! did on the farm, yet am saving
less money" OF every hundred farmers
who go to the city fully ninety nine have
similar experience II is safe to say
that after living in the city for two years
they would give the farm credit for twice
or thrice as much as they did before.
Like other blessings, the farm is not fully
appreciated while it is in possession. The
notion that city work is easier and nicer
is as erroneous as the notion that city pay
is better No one will question that what
are termed the manual employments re,
quire in the city as vigorous use OF the
that no argument is required to prove it,
that the man who works on the streets,
who carries mortar and brick, who lays
stone and brick, who stands before the
forge, etc., works as hard as the farmer;
and the farm cannot show work so severe |
as that done by the moulders in the
various foundries. /; il the clerk, neatly |
dressed aud 10 the shade all day, that we
envy. But We do not ref, ct that the
clerk thinks il is a great hardship that be
must be neatly dressed, that he cannot lay
aside his coat, or even 80 much ~ nnbnt
tou 1t aud throw 1t back True, he is ID
The shade, bnI III The store the air is very
,lli. The stufe is warmer than The har
vest field, and insteai Of throwing Un coat
aud vest. the clerk must keep both on aud
button up closely. 1t is no advantage to
stands at 1909. Nor does the farm labor
n work more hours than the clerk; for
he store does not close till ten at night,
md the clerk must be on hand in the
morning almost as early as the farmer goes
field. Aud II any one thinks it is easy or
greeabe to handle goods and put up with
be crocLets OF s)Ine women, he ID badly
Let the farm be credited in
ull and II will appear tbat nothing is 10
'e gained by Joining the army Of sppii-
anita for work 10 the roxded city, = Neu
.,f..s,y Lf.......as.